Port Blair, Dec. 20: To protest against the non-disbursement of wages for the month of November 2012 to the workers of A&N Islands Forest and Plantation Development Corporation ltd., the workers and their family members including women and children organised a Mass Dharna in front of the Corporation office at Haddo on 18th Dec.
Later in the evening, a public meeting was organized at Haddo Junction. Addressing the public meeting Shri B. Chandrachoodan, General Secretary CITU A&N State Committee lambasted the UPA government for imposing burden one after the other on the general public particularly the low paid workers.
Referring to the pathetic condition of the workers working in the Forest Corporation, he said that the NDA government and the UPA governments did not take any concrete steps to revive the activities of the Corporation which had come to a standstill after the Supreme Court verdict in May 2002.
Addressing the meeting, Shri D. Ayyappan, General Secretary, NGGO’s Association said that the central government has failed to settle various issues raised by the central government employees’ organisation before the government. He referred to the refusal of the government to merge 50% DA with Pay and expressed concern over the growing unemployment in the islands following the ban on creation of posts in the government imposed by the central government since 1999.
Shri D. Lakshman Rao presided over the meeting.